If I remember my science, don't we all begin as little female zygotes or something and then chromosomes or testostorone make us into male creatures. Ah, the power of hormones ... we forget our beginnings, our feminine side pretty completely. So, the more powerful the dose of test. and chromosomes, the less we remember or act on our feminine side, thus the more truely manly? Are we to ignore the rumblings of divinity and creation within? Is it more divine to remember the female or be consumed by testosterone? I love paradoxes.

Purify the spirit, and you won't be morbid; this is called the opening of the mystic feminine.The mystic feminine is called the root of the universe; a subtle continuity, it is indeed there; apply it without stress.

From A Course in Guidance, an old Chinese text - a copy of which was unearthed in the famous Mawangdui finds of 1973-74...The Course in Guidance (Dao Jing) is perhaps even older than the Tao Te Ching and approaches health and long life through thoughts and actions prescribed to bring relief from stresses such as anxiety, paranoia, agression, etc.

As we move into the busy holiday season and are bombarded with stresses and obligations, take a moment and return to your center - the root of the universe - discover your "mystic feminine."

God help me. Anthony is signing his name as Ant'ny. All right, Dr. X, are you mind controlling our Monsieur Anthony? What next? Alanis M. a Uechi devotee? (Can't sing, may as well learn Sanchin. - Ed)

And what's all this fuss about Mystic, Connecticut? I love the aquarium; best Beluga whales around! And that preserved whaling ship, the Charles Morgan! I can't believe they took the trouble to harvest tree roots perfectly shaped to provide support for the main deck. And that it was done by feminists!!! Well, I never thought they'd be interested in Mystic whalers. Lori, we ought to open a new forum -- a Moby Dick Roundtable?

...on the other hand, we have to consider our "mindset," as the venerable Van Canna-san would suggest. Such a roundtable would probably degenerate within a few posts to a "do you have a name for your anatomical parts" melee.

Allen,Are you sure we have deviated? Jung called the female side of the male his "anima." This would be the aspect of us that was relational and sensual. Sharing your sense-memories about hemp (aka marijuana) lines and heaving (no comment) decks would qualify you as well-balanced, gender-wise, in my book!

Doh! Hemp and nylon; heaving decks under Spinnakers and reefed mains; sickening sea swells, high seas and squalls; green water, gales in darkness; lightning crashing all around and foaming crests exploding at the top of waves in huge building pyramids as tall as the mast. The sea is a real woman with all the adrenalin pumping excitement. Whew! I'm drained just thinking about it. Why do I want to clam-up? Somehow I don't dare say no mo!

Are you dissin on Air Supply? Or, do you own stock in their record label?

Lori San:

EEEYOW!!! Getting in touch with one's femine side. A concept that will drive most post war, baby boomer, he man, macho, stud muffin, type guys right up a wall. Yet, the duality of our art manifests itself in many ways. Perhaps embracing the feminine is critical to mastering ones whole self. It was often stated to me, by various instructors, that to be hard one must be soft and to be soft one must be hard. Karate babble, or insight?

As the product of boys P.E., I was never encouraged to place much emphasis on flexibility, fluidity, or much else that might be construed as soft. We were suppose to be tough, and damn the hamstring pull, take another salt tablet and blast full speed ahead.

Today, those notions seem as odd as the notion that one should not warm up and stretch before exercising. Embracing the femine seems to me the same as saying embrace yourself. Recognize your potential, and allow yourself the freedom to explore. It's funny that in the land of the free being free to explore the multiple facets of oneself is an intimidating concept.

My -my , from "mystic feminine" to "hemp and nylons?" >> to "The sea is a real woman with all the adrenaline pumping excitement." >>>> to "I suddenly felt as though the sea was tasting me...like the waves where a big tongue reaching out for me.... It was kind of sexy...." Yes ..there is very much a correlation between the sea and a woman ..but there is more to a woman than just being feminine !

Will you admit to a feminine side?? How do we define "feminine" ?

Allen and Anthony , I like your analogies !

There are females and then there are women ! And not all women are created equal ..in the same manner that not all men are ! Certain women have been programmed by nature with a "touch of Venus" , you know ..they have a different look , move differently , feel differently , dress differently, their scent is different , and they are very mysterious ! The "gift of Venus" is locked inside of them in disquietude giving off subtle signals awaiting to be released by the "prince valiant" ! When that happens ..she will unchain as the eternal sea , in deep dark blue ocean roll…with bubbling groans , in great natural powers >>>It's surfy , slow , deep , moaning, mellow voice full of mystery and awe >> lulling to unbroken slumbers of its vast depths , at once in tempest , calm or convulsed, in breeze , or gale , or storm , or in liquid fire , torrid clime, dark heaving ; boundless, endless and sublime !

My my is right! Dare I jump back in this thread now? I have to admit - you guys did much better than I imagined with this one! Who would have thought that a bunch of macho men could come up with such beautiful thoughts on what is the mystic feminine? I'm so proud I could cry...

Seriously though - what wonderful images of the sea and sailing as aspects of the feminine within - from mother ocean to ships travelling over her - poets and writers have epitomized woman in that which is mysterious, deep and driven by forces of nature - Van, Allen and Anthony - beautiful descriptions!

John,

Good point - I remember when I learned that I thought it interesting that the male of the species were created because of the "odd" chromosone... everything being equal we'd all be female - but that wouldn't be any fun now would it?

Ant'ny,

More "power" to you! And as for that ocean image - thanks! My kata on the beach will never be the same again! >

Michael,

Perhaps you'd care to moderate that forum you speak of! I'm sure you've gotten plenty of material in your line of work for some "provacative" posts! And we can start with "unbridled" as a state of being...

Allen,

For not knowing anything about the "feminine" side - you did a damn good job with that sailing bit... that was beautiful actually! Reminds me of a video I ordered from guess where - the Mystic Seaport Museum about sailing around the horn - the last sailing ship ever to do so and the only one ever filmed - the guy was a maniac - with a heavy old moving picture recorder at the top of the mast in swells bigger than skyscrapers it seemed - check it out it's awesome!

J.D.-san,

Ever the critic! Melville's not THAT bad now is he? You've got to admit he came up with a few interesting characters...did he know you? Now tell me - how much chi does it take to execute enough mind control to force the purchase of an Air Supply CD??? I'm sure the Lagavulin boosts your level of "chi" somewhat for such an endeavor! (Or at least your belief in chi! - ok - NOT!)

Ant Knee,

You know our sensei would appreciate that - spoken like a true master!

Rich,

Kata on the beach can take on all kinds of dimensions - try it if you ever get a chance - something about the vastness of nature all around - quite a difference from feeling your power bounce off the walls of a dojo!

Robb-san,

Nice post! And well said... it's not an easy topic for most - yet an interesting aspect of our art! Duality manifests itself in so many ways - for example right-left brained or handed - when we practice using/accepting both sides then we become more whole - growing as artists and human beings - embracing the feminine side for a man may be part of that -

On the other side - I think that women who are already involved in karate are probably exploring their masculine side - some find this easier than others - some are trying to beat it - some are competeing with it - it is when we as women find balance with both sides that we can truly grow as martial artists - competing and defeating the differences don't really serve to promote growth as I see it.

Van-sama,

What can I say? You leave me speechless in the wake of your intensity...you must be a force of nature yourself to have such a grasp on the "mystic feminine..."

I love the sea and have witnessed her ever-changing moods from the quietest and calmest where the mirror-like surface is as smooth as glass to the exploding crests, often not knowing what to expect next. To relate the sea to a woman is not difficult.

Now the masculine side. We men have always tried to conquer the sea from wodden rafts of old to today's super cities of steel... In the eighteen hundreds and early nineteen hundreds, navies, whalers, freighters, coal ships, etc. rounded the Horn in seas taller than 100 feet in freezing waters all the time. It is not smooth where east meets west.

Karate draws the pugalistic who seek to conquer, whether internal or external, male or female.

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